Janus Peace Summit: Transcript
Freia looked over her people that had retreated into the northern part of the city. She was excited, happy, and furious all at once. She herself had slain dozens of the Quav-whatevers, but they had fought well enough against the rest of her people that the battle had ended in a draw, even with their knowledge of the area. It unsettled her. She knew her people would be more than enough to handle the Quavlites with even numbers, but too many had died during the trials, they were too few. Freia sighed. She knew if the Aliums were being pushed back by multiple countries they weren't winning the war, if not losing it. She needed out of the situation, and berrated herself for losing her cool earlier. Was it part of the transformation? "Milady?" She turned and saw Loki standing taller than ever before. "Maker... Loki?" She started to feel her eyes wet, and she pushed it back. "You undertook the trial and survived?" Loki took a second, and replied "Yes, but I fear the trials must end, for the Aliums have already lost the war. We also don't have the-" Freia put up a hand to signal him to stop. "I know, old friend, I know... We can't keep up a war against such numbers when we are already without a consistent source of food and drink. We need..." Freia's guts seemed to be on fire, and she swallowed to keep from vomiting. "Peace... I will go to meet the Quavs myself this time. Do not follow, if they do not wish to reason, I doubt they can stop me from getting away if I only have to fend for myself." She put her hand on Loki's shoulder, he's still fairly shorter than him, that hasn't changed. "A part of me wants things as they were as well.. you are in charge while I'm gone. Do not fail me." Freia jumped off the three-story building, and began her bounding sprint over to the quavirian camp. Upon seeing the camp, she slowed to a brisk walk and put her hands in the air... Benaris Stellasholme has spent a long day of combat with the Kreel. The savages appeared to have made some kind of pact with the demons to grant them powers beyond the strength of their mechanical arms. But in the end the Quavirians had held the line and fought the much larger army of heathens to a draw. With a small beachhead secured on the edge of their land, he had begun drawing plans for a longer campaign and discussing it with his generals. Messengers flew in an out of the encampment hourly, and the priests were on constant high alert, flames at the ready. However, the Quavirians immediately recognized the Kreel known as Freia when she arrived at the gates, alone. Two priests immediately demanded her to be still, while a third summoned Benaris. The gates open before him as the Quavirian general walked out to meet the Kreathen. The eight foot man holds his stel (war scythe) in both hands before him, a classic fighting stance. "Halt demon harlot. What could you possibly seek from Elana's chosen." "Demon harlot?" Freia looked amused as a smile tugged at her lips. "I guess I'll have to own up to that... I am here to speak with whoever I may need to speak with in the name of peace. If only he would listen to me, maybe we can come to an agreement that would satisfy the Light." Benaris frowns slightly at Freia. "I am Benaris Stellasholme. If you seek to treat with someone you treat with me. Tell me, what reason could we have to seek peace with you? You have given yourselves over to that which is unholy, and sacrificed your lives along with your souls. What do you have to offer Quaviria that might save both of these things?" "Back when the demons first emerged, our peaceful people, the Kreel who had never in the history of our people ever been in a war, were forced into a battle of survival against unparalelled forces that from what I've heard took the rest of the world combined in order to stop. We simply didn't have the military might to stand up to the demons and defend our way of life. We fell. Our people were scattered all across our own lands, and more of us fell than did not. We were no longer a nation, we were destroyed, and I would not let my brethren fall to the dust and be forgotten forever, and so I forged a deal with the demon invaders. Preserve us and we would fight by their side. This deal created what I am now, a living war machine in a woman's body." Freia paused, and looked to make sure he was* listening to her long-winded words. "There are only a handful of people like me and only a couple hundred Kreel remaining.... I know you fight the demons for the Light as you call it, and I know you do not stand by me or my people's decisions. I will agree to be brutally honest with you if you will be so with me and my people. I do not like your people, and I'm pretty damn sure you don't like me, but will you condemn my people and I to death because we weren't strong enough to defend ourselves from such an overpowering invasion that sprung out of the ground right next to us? Will you slaughter us all because we made what sacrifices we had to make in order for us to even exist?" Freia started to get emotional, which was strange to her because she was usually the furthest to caring... was her speech striking home to her as well? "We ask of you, those who have purged these demons once before, we ask to side with you in purging the remaining demons from these lands so that my people can go back living their new lives. Things won't be the same, but they never will be. We are changed forever by this event whether we like it or not. What would you have of us? What would you ask of the Kreathens, in return for a short alliance to purge the remaining demons from this land?" "We do not hate you for your choice. It is only Pity and Regret that we see when we gaze upon your corrupted forms and recognize our failure to protect this world from the evils of Calos." Benaris sets himself at ease and the guards follow suit. "If absolution of your sins and freedom for your people is truly what you seek, then we shall assist you. But when it is through, if you and the others who made this decision for your people yet live, you must swear now to command your people to walk in Elana's wake before taking the Lovian Penance. It is the only way to bring your souls into the Light." He looks at her for a moment, gauging her reaction. "That is, of course, suicide. If these terms are not acceptable to you, then war shall continue. If you betray the trust of most holy Quaviria, then Elana's wrath will fall upon you like a thousand stampeding hooves. But if your quest is true than we shall assist you." He slams his right fist over his heart and his left behind his back, and the guards do the same. "Quaviria protects." "Quaviria protects!" Freia's face blanked. She was ready to give up land, she was ready to counter-argue joining the Quav-whatevers, she was ready for a simple yes or no, but of everything he could ask for, he asked that she and her companions commit suicide after the battle...? "I... You're saying that our souls are corrupted according to your religion... so you demand we commit suicide? End our lives on the basis that you just assume our souls and not just our bodies are affected by our transformation...?" "Yes. It is of course not lightly that I say these things, but you must understand. It is clear, by your appearance even now, by the nature of the 'deal' which you undertook with the demons, that Calos corrupts those he touches. If you were still Kreel, it would be different. But you have become something more, something unpure. We will help you save those that we can, but the corruption of Calos must be brought out into the Light and purged. Quaviria is not cruel, it is not unjust. We will fight with you, we will lay down our lives to protect yours as long as you help us combat this evil, but in the end every trace of Calos must be removed from these lands. Just as I must take my own after this war is over. We will help you. We will guide you. You need only accept our help." Freia had never feared anyone or anything in her life until a few turns(fourth wall lel) ago... and now all of this... how could this have happened? Life was so great only a small while ago. Now she felt... she felt... wronged. What had she done, to deserve this life. What did the world have against her. Maybe it would be best if she actually did just... "NO!" Freia shocked herself by shouting her answer aloud. She looked at the Ben guy to see disapointment. "I mean no I.. I was in my thoughts I don't... I don't mean to refuse your terms I just don't think I and my people can agree to them outright." "You have 3 days. I would very much like to meet a kreel who has not yet been transformed, if any remain. I do not wish to have a genocide on my hands, doomed as they may be. Discuss this with your people. But, know this. I fear that even if we should broker peace and we leave you, if you continue in your ways of demon worship, your neighbors will come for you. Elana seeks peace, and peace comes through cooperation. Three days. Go." Freia's face turned red. "I..." And she turned, bounding off towards her people at a pace she knew would be admired by many.The next day, a Kreel with blonde shaggy hair and layered in dirt appeared on the horizon of the Quavirian encampment, accompanied by a short Kreel with long dark hair that covered one of his glowing green eyes. "Hail Quavtivians!" The shaggy guy called out once he had gotten within shouting distance of the guards, and put up his hands. The shorter man with dark hair followed behind him by a good ten feet and simply walked as if out on a stroll. "A Ben guy wanted to meet one of our non-devily people so they sent me! As a past member of the Royal Guard they decided I was the best suited of us left." The guards form up as Benaris walks out the front gates with a pair of priests in tow. "Greetings friend. You have escaped the changes then? Tell me, what do you find your life like here? Were the demons oppressors, and do the transformed continue their evils? Finally, do you mind if we inspect you for corruption?" The priests hurry forward carrying with them satchels of various herbs and a silver-gilded antler with runes carved in it. "Uh, woah now you be probin'? I'm down with you guys goin' all priesty but will this hurt? And uh... that was a lot at once. I am indeed free of the changes as you call 'em. See this guy? His name's Loki and he's kinda the right-hand man of Freia back at camp. He and her have the green eyes that you get with the changes see? I don't have 'em but do your thing. So... OH! Excuse my manners Ben, my name is Gryffin and might I say it is a great pleasure to meet you my man." Gryffin was worried he was making a fool of himself. He was just a good guard back in the day, he was never good at talkin' fancy. "So yeah... what were the other questions? Your Kreel is great and all but I was kinda focused on understanding you through the accent and it was a lot all at once... heh heh heh..." Gryffin laughed awkwardly while he watched the priests do... things. "Gryffin! I see. And Loki, greetings." The priests begin mumbling to each other while guiding the antler up and down the man's sides (think metal detector) and preparing a tonic. "Uh yes well the demons conquered your country, and I was wondering how they ruled. Were they cruel? Did they propose the changes or did you? The only other question I have is, are there others unchanged like you?" A priest hands the concoction to Gryffin: "Drink this my child, and be patient. You should feel lighter soon." "Hello." Loki says from behind Gryffin. "Uh yeah sure." Gryffin hesitates for a second and quickly chugs the concoction. "Ok so the demons won, but they didn't, see cause Freia made a deal or whatever to make them stop right? They're an ok sort once you're not their target... I guess.. they're just kind of... angry at everything. Freia proposed the changes if you mean the glowing green eyes and wicked cool..." Gryffin stops and coughs. "The green eyes you know... Anyways yea it's been.... hell. Gryffin ceases the facade, and his goofy outlook is shortly replaced by a steeled wartorn visage. The facade had been for himself, but he was tired of it all. "The demons don't allow us to eat until they've eaten well, and as you can imagine, we're not exactly pumping out produce as of right now. But they outnumber us 2 to 1 and they're well-fed and battle crazed while the majority of us were simple farmers or hunters, not warriors. I'm sure we could still win, especially with Freia on our side, but who knows how many would be slaughtered first." Gryffin sighed. "It seems I got ahead of myself, to answer your question, yes there are more of us that are unchanged. I'd wager there are about 150 of us left, about 50 of the changed ones, and about 300 demons among us." "I see. Thank you for your sincerity." The priest smiles as Gryffin doesn't immediately begin vomiting, proving that he does not have the taint of Calos within him. "He is clear sir." "Good. We would happily help you to free yourselves from the demonic menace, and if your changed assist us then all the better. I think, by doing this, that you will be free from both the aliens and the scrutiny of your neighbors. Have you heard our proposal? I presume you have, Loki." "Yes I have, it would seem you would prefer the only ones capable of defending our people commit suicide so you can do what you wish with the rest of the farmers and traders." Loki replied in an even tone, his face not giving away the slightest bit of emotion aside from a hint of spite. Gryffin shifts uncomfortably as he gets to the point in the conversation he had been worried about. "Woah now let's calm down. Sir Ben if I may ask, why do you want them to... off themselves? That seems pretty dark for people who stand for the Light. I mean... I personally haven't had any problems dealing with any of them." "We would have the Kreel stand for themselves, as they could have during the first incursion, if we had been present to help." Replies Benaris, failing to hide a glare aimed at Loki. The priests turn to Gryffin and smile weakly, "My friend, the way of the Light is not always easy. It is true that the Changed protect you, but they have become part demon themselves. Would you say they are your equals? If not, is it because they are changed? Such imbalance is the work of Calos, and now that they have corrupted the very essence of these people it takes great penance for them to be saved. It is customary among Quavirians, and the only way we know to save a soul so surely damned." "We're getting nowhere." Loki says as he turns on his heels and begins to depart. "Wait!" Gryffin shouts, "There has to be a way to avoid this war. Do you know how many will die? Neither side can even say they'll win this thing! Please... Can like, a sacrifice or uh..." Gryffin thinks on his feet of weird tribal things he'd heard of. "Like rituals or exercissisms or something be done for them??" Category:Nationbuilder V